readers, the particular place of its construction;
has been matter of various opinions. Gen. Gassin
bis historical discourse, places it at Erie ; Mr.
Bancroft in his history, designates the mouth of
the Tonawanda. Mr. Sparks in the biography of
Marquette, decides to place it on the Canadian
side of the -Niagara. These variants result in a
measure from the vague and jarring accounts of
the narrators, whose works had been consulted
in some instances in abridged or mutilated translations,
and not from doubt or ambiguity in the
missionary Letters.
Literary associations in America, who aimed
to increase the means 6f reference to standard
Works, began their labors in- feebleness/ The
New York Historical Society, which dates' its
origin in 1804, and has vindicated itsolaims^to
be one of the earliest and móst efficiënt aids to
the study of historical letters : America; published
Tonti’s account of the Chevalier La Salle’s
enterprise, in one of the volumes of its;'first series.
It is since known, however, that this account
was a bookseller’s compilation from,it% believed
generally, correct sources, but it was disclaimed
by Tonti. It is at least but an abbreviation, and
cannot be regarded as an Original work.;
In 1820, the American Antiquarian Society
published in their first volume of .collections,
an account of Hennepin’s discoveries, which is
known to bibliographers to be also a translation of
a mere abridgement of the original work, reduced
to less than half its volume of matter. There
was also an edition of this author, published in
London in but still clipped of some of its
matter, or otherwise defective ; fthe tastes and
wants of an English public being constantly
consulted in the admission of continental books
of. this > cast. The original work of Hennepin
was.published in French, at Amsterdam, in>1698.
Being of the order pf Recollects, and nota Jesuit,
there was much feeling and prejudice against
him in France, of which Charlevoix, the accomplished
historian of New France, partook in no
small degree. Yet whatever may have been the
justice or injustice of these impeachments of the
missionary’s:,piety, there could be no motive for
disagreement in a fact of this kind. As the original
work has never been published in this
country, ! annex a translation of such parts pf
the journal as bear on this topic. ;
Hennepin was the camp missionary of the
party on the way to Illinois, and the companion
of La Salle on the. occasion. By adverting to
this narrative, the most satisfactory and circumstantial
details will be found. The vessel, according
to him, was built “ two leagues above
the falls,” on the south banks. From every examination,
there can be no doubt, that the spot
selected was Cayuga creek, that is about three
miles above the present site of Fort Schlosser.
On the,14th day of January, 1679, we arrived
at our cabin at Niagara, to refresh ourselves
from the fatigues of our voyage. We had no